I Trust You
by Phantom-Lover984
Summary: Please R&R: Sharpay and Ryan are cold and mean at school. Everyone has their own family problems.:::Please Read the new entry:::.
1. Chapter 1

Whee. So this is my first HSM fanfic. How exciting! I really enjoyed writing this. It's not that I hate Ryan. I love him to death. But imagining him as the subject of abuse is rewarding (in a way).

Anyway, Disclaimer: Actually, I am in line to be heir to the Disney throne, so yes. I do own High School Musical. It was my idea. Grandpa gave it to me. And Ryan. (ha ha, I wish)

Well, here it goes.

_I Trust You- Chapter One_

_**9 years ago…**_

"Perhaps you should come to bed now, Richard darling."

Mary Evans stood in her silk bathrobe. She was very beautiful. She stood in the doorway to the game room.

"I think you're hurting him…"

Richard Evans stood over a small boy, who held his face in his hands and had curled up into a ball. Richard turned to his wife.

"Come now, there's always tomorrow."

Richard followed his wife up the stairs and to their bedroom.

From across the room, a small girl, about the same size as the boy, crawled out from behind a couch.

"Ryan?" she whispered, barely daring to raise her voice any louder. The boy remained quiet. His body shook with silent sobs as he slowly rocked back and forth. The girl crawled out and slowly made her way over to him.

"Ryan? Are you crying? Does it hurt? Should I get a doctor?" The girl reached out and placed a timid hand on his shoulder.

"No Shar. It doesn't hurt." He sat up and smiled at her. Sharpay reached out and brushed a finger across her brother's cheek. She was younger than him by twelve minutes. Ryan winced slightly; his cheek was already starting to swell.

**_Present _**

Sharpay woke up to the sound of her parents fighting again. She sighed and grabbed her bathrobe and tiptoed to Ryan's room. She opened the door and slipped in. She glanced around the room, but didn't see Ryan. After closer inspection, she saw him hiding beside his bookcase, almost completely hidden from view. She sighed. They were sixteen years old, and Ryan was still curling up into a silent ball and crying like he would when they were little. She walked over and sat by Ryan.

"Hey" she said. Ryan looked up. He smiled and wiped his eyes quickly, not wanting his sister to see him crying.

"Hi. Did you sleep well?" He smiled. "Last day of school! Are you getting together with friends after school?"

Sharpay hesitated. Gabriella had asked her to join them in a trip to the mall. She knew the invitation was probably just for her. 'I guess Ryan just weirds them out too much…' she thought. She hadn't gotten back to them on a definite answer yet, but she knew she probably wouldn't. She wouldn't dare leave Ryan home completely alone. Their parents didn't get along well anymore. Their mother threatens to leave almost every day. Sharpay knows that one day she just might leave. She shuddered at the thought of what would happen then. Mary Evans didn't exactly _protect_ Ryan, but she would occasionally stop it when it got too bad. For years Richard Evans has used Ryan as his punching bag. He didn't hit Sharpay. Or Mary. He never hit females. Sharpay felt guilty that Ryan had to take it all, but she did what she could at home to help him.

"Shar?" Ryan blinked. "You ok?" Sharpay smiled.

"I need to get ready." She slipped out of his room. The door to their parent's room was open. She glanced in quickly. It was empty. She crept over and peered over the banister. She could hear her mother working in the kitchen. Sharpay made it back to her room. She put on her favorite outfit. The one she got last summer before school began. She got it just for this special occasion. Sharpay admired her reflection in her body mirror. She suddenly heard a loud crash from down the hall. She paled. She dashed out of her room and into Ryan's.

To Be Continued...

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Er, ok. So it sucked. But still, please read and review, if I don't get many reviews I'll just ditch this storyline (which I don't really like to do...). So please! 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, wow! How exciting! I've never had so many people R&R over one night! Alrighty then! Chapter Two!

Disclaimer: I bought the rights to the movie on Ebay last night. It's mine I tell you! Mine! (or not)

_I Trust You- Chapter Two_

Sharpay raced down the hall. The door to Ryan's room was wide open. Sharpay could see her father standing where Ryan and the bookcase had once been. The bookcase had been knocked over and books were scattered everywhere. Sharpay ran into the room. Their father was mercilessly beating his fist into Ryan. Sharpay ran up behind him and grabbed his arm.

"Stop it! Dad! You're hurting him! Stop!"

Richard Evans shoved Sharpay away. She tripped over a book and fell to the ground.

"Shar!" Ryan exclaimed. He pushed past Richard and made it over to Sharpay. "Are you hurt?"

"Richard!" A voice came from downstairs. "Your pancakes are ready!"

Richard left the room. Sharpay sat up.

"Are you hurt?" Ryan repeated.

"Of course not." Sharpay sighed. Their father was pounding his fist into Ryan, but all Ryan cared about was Sharpay. Ryan smiled.

"Are you almost ready to go?"

Sharpay eyed him nervously. "Are you going to be ok?"

Ryan smiled again. "Of course. It doesn't hurt."

_It doesn't hurt_. Of course it hurt. Sharpay wasn't stupid. Ryan had been saying that since the first time their father hit him; he didn't want her to worry. Ryan stood up, wincing slightly from the pain. He helped Sharpay up and turned away from her, wiping his eyes quickly.

"Are you ready to go?"

Sharpay sighed and nodded. 'At least it's the last day' Sharpay thought. She was always worried someone would find out at school. When they did, everyone in the student body would know, and they would get sent to foster care, or even worse, split up.

Sharpay walked back to her room and grabbed her bag. She met Ryan in the hallway and they quietly made their way downstairs. Richard was busy eating his pancakes and reading the newspaper to notice them go by. They went out to the garage and climbed into the car. Soon they arrived at East High School, ready to face another day.

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Ok, sorry it was so short! I'll make up for it with a longer chapter next time. My little sis wanted on, so I figured "Well, thisisn't a bad place to stop; they arrive for their last day of school, who knows what'll happen there."

Anyway, please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, so this one iskinda short as well, but I thought it was an okplace to stop.

Disclaimer: I am the Queen of The WORLD. Allthat I see is mine. High School Musical is mine. (please. pretty please.)

POV- Sharpay

We arrived at school with plenty of time. The bell wouldn't ring for another 5 minutes. Ryan and I only had one class together, and that was homeroom.

Ryan follows me around for a while as I make my way along a well-known path. I stop at Zeke's locker to talk before the bell rings. Zeke has another bag of homemade treats for me; he's really thoughtful. He is the best when it comes to baking. I remember the first time he made me cookies. I turned then down, of course, but Ryan took them anyway. I'm thankful now that he saved them for me.

The bell rings, so Ryan and I hurry off to class. As we hurry, I hear someone hiss "_fag_" as Ryan passes. I glance at him, but he still has a content smile on his face, so I assumed he didn't hear.

Ryan sits behind me in Mrs. Darbus's classroom. Homeroom is the shortest class of the day. After twenty minutes, the bell rings. I notice Ryan wincing as he stands up. He gives me an "I'm fine" smile and heads off for his next class before I can say anything about it.

POV- Ryan

We have plenty of time when we get to school, so I follow Sharpay around. She makes her way over to Zeke's locker so they stand and talk. She smiles slightly when she talks, and I know she's happy. It gets a little boring standing there watching them, but I have no one else to stand around with, so I just smile.

The bell rings, so I follow Sharpay to Mrs. Darbus's class, when I hear someone call me a fag. I see Sharpay glance at me, but I just smile. It hurts when people say things like that, but I don't want Sharpay to worry.

I sit in my usual spot behind Sharpay. Before I know it, 20 minutes has passed, and the bell rings. I feel a sharp pain when I stand up, but I mile at Sharpay. I don't want her to worry.

POV- Sharpay

My next three classes went by pretty much uneventful. English class was pretty boring; all we did was read out loud from this book. Algebra was boring too; we played math related games. Talk about fun. Spanish II was actually ok. We had a fiesta and watched movies.

When I got to lunch there was something different. There was an excited buzz going around. The entire student body seemed to be talking about the same thing:

"Did you hear?"

"Ryan? As in _the_ Ryan? Sharpay's brother?"

"I know! I couldn't believe it!"

"I know! He's got detention! On the last day, too!"

Sharpay grabbed a passing freshman by the shoulders.

"What is it? What happened?"

"Well, from what my friend says, who heard it from her friend who heard it from her boyfriend who heard it from _his_ friend who heard it from his cousin who heard it from his sister who heard it from _her_ boyfriend who heard it from-"

"Just get to the point!" Sharpay snapped. If something bad had happened to Ryan…

"Well, I heard that he beat up the English teacher!"

"That's not what I heard!" chimed in a scrawny freshman boy. "I heard that he pulled a gun on her!"

"That is _so _not true," Said a sophomore. "He threw that stupid book we were reading at her face."

Sharpay stared at all the people chattering around her. She didn't know who to believe. The only thing she thought could be true was that Ryan did do something in English class.

She ran up to where they usually sat, but Ryan wasn't there. She waited all lunch period, but he never came. The bell rang, and she hurried off to gym, wondering what happened and if Ryan was ok.

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Please Read and Review! 


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so, this is Ch. 4 already (sniff, time flies!) So yeah. Exciting. 

Disclaimer: I snuck into the Disney files and stole the rights to High School Musical. (that's believable.)

_I Trust You- Chapter Four_

POV- Ryan

After homeroom I hurried off to my next class- gym. I can't stand this class. Coach Bolton makes the last two people out of the changing rooms run 5 laps. I'm always last; I don't want anyone to see the bruises. I always wear a long sleeve t-shirt and pants, even when it's warm. My least favorite is Free Choice Fridays. Since most of the people in my class are on the basketball team, we always play basketball. Coach Bolton picks two guys to be captain and then lets them pick teammates. I'm always picked last. And it's not exactly being picked. Whoever is picking says "You can have Ryan." Then they argue over who has to take me till Coach Bolton makes them do rock paper scissors. I think he does that on purpose, to humiliate me even more. Anyway, today, being our last day, Coach let us pick what to play. Of course, by majority rules, we played basketball. Of course they fought over who had to take me. Of course everyone ignored me, no one ever threw me the ball, and I simply walked up and down the court like I always did.

My next class was my most favorite class of the day: Choir. Unfortunately, all we did was watch a movie. It wasn't even a musical. Everyone voted on some stupid movie that had no singing in it. I sat in the back and drew pictures in my notebook.

Then, my least favorite and most dreaded class of the day: English. I heard some kids talking in choir about how boring English was going to be. They said that Ms. Snider had picked out a lame book to read from, and then, for the rest of the period, had each person read a chapter. My heart nearly stopped when I heard that.

Ever since I was little, reading had been very difficult for me. They said something like I had _dyslexia _or something, but all I know is that it's very hard, and embarrassing for me to read out loud, especially in front of my classmates. It was less embarrassing when I was really little, because everyone was sounding out letters and having difficulties with reading. But now I'm sixteen, and it still is difficult.

The bell rings and I head to my seat in English. I watch as Chad and most of the other basketball boys come in and sit circled around my desk. They enjoy sitting near me. Without Sharpay's protection, they're free to taunt and ridicule me all they want.

Before the tardy bell rings (and with the absence of a teacher), I feel a painful flick on my ear. I jump, but try to ignore it. Chad reaches out and flicks my ear again. It sort of hurts, but I pretend not to notice. Suddenly a hand collides with the back of my head and my hat flies off and across the floor. There's a sudden burst of giggles as Chad and his friends exchange high fives. I reach down and pick up my hat just as the bell rings. Ms. Snider comes in and instantly begins to pass out books. As soon as I get mine, I thumb through it. The chapters look short. Everyone will get a turn to read. I chew my nails nervously as Ms. Snider starts reading.

I try to follow along, but it makes no sense. Instead, I simply sit there, stare at the open book in front of me, and flip the pages when everyone else does. I always do that when Ms. Snider reads out loud. She never makes us read. I feel sort of like a normal kid when I do this. It looks like I'm reading.

I feel a sharp pain in my back suddenly. I already hurt there when Dad threw a book at me this morning. I turned around and saw Chad with his pencil. When I turned back he jabbed it into my back again.

"Would you stop please?" I whispered. He and his friends just laughed quietly. I turned back at the sound of someone speaking in front of me. Suddenly my heart began to pound. It was almost my turn to read. The sharp pain returned, and I spun around and snatched Chad's pencil and snapped it in two. Chad and his friends laughed again as I turned around, my vision blurring up. I wiped my eyes quickly. If I started crying in front of them, I would die of shame.

Suddenly I became aware of the silence in the room. I looked up and saw everyone staring at me.

"Mr. Evans, it's your turn."

I stared at Ms. Snider. Few people knew I was dyslexic. I began to panic. I didn't want to sound like an idiot, trying to pronounce each and every word. Suddenly, without any warning, I slammed my book shut.

"No."

There was a sharp intake of breath. My classmates looked from me to Ms. Snider.

"W-what?" She seemed stunned.

"I said no. I don't want to read this. Or any of the lame books you pick" I was shocked at what I was saying.

"Please continue with chapter-"

"NO!" I screamed. Her eyes widened in surprise and she jumped. So did the rest of the class. "I said I don't want to!" I took the book and threw it as hard as I could, using all the pent up anger and hatred I had towards normal people, like Chad, who could read. The book flew across the room and landed on Ms. Snider's desk, scattering her papers, pens, books, and cup of coffee everywhere.

"Mr. Evans I will see you after school!" She shrieked in her old-woman voice. "Go to the principal's office! NOW!" Everyone jumped. No one had ever seen her so upset before.

I suddenly realized the intensity of what I just did. I was ashamed that I had been so disrespectful and rude. I grabbed my stuff and left without another word.

I walked down the hallway towards the office. At least I saved myself from the humiliation of trying to read.

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Ok. I would like to say that the whole Ryan being dyslexic thing was done in another fanfic by Spice of Life. She wrote a really beatiful (definitely went on my favorite stories list!). It's called Scripts and Skyscrapers, I suggest you go read it. I loved it! 


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so, whee! Here's Ch. 5. Oh, about the Ryan and silverware thing. My friend came over and we were watching HSM when she showed me her favorite part of the whole movie. It's after the whole 'Callbacks?' scene, and Sharpay is angrily pacing. Before she storms up and says "How dare she audition," my friend pointed to Ryan, who seemed to be smoothing out his napkin and placing his silverware in order. My friend loved the idea that Ryan wasn't exactly O.C.D., but he had certain, like, rituals that he had to do before eating. She asked (begged) me to include that in my fanfic, so, this is for you Em! If I get bad reviews it's your fault. 

Disclaimer: It's not mine (sorry, to tired to thing of something; stayed up all night writing)

I Trust You- Chapter Five 

The final bell rang, and there was a deafening cheer coming from the classrooms as students leapt from their seats and raced out the open doors to their freedom. For a few months that is.

Sharpay nervously looked for Ryan; she still hadn't seen him. She finally saw him coming down the hall. She sighed with relief.

"Ryan!"

He stopped and glanced around. He smiled when he saw her and walked over.

"I heard something happened in English class today."

"What'd you hear?"

"That you pulled a gun on the teacher after chucking the book at her face."

Ryan smiled slightly. "Well, not to _that _extreme, but I did get detention."

"What for?"

"I refused to read."

Sharpay suddenly remembered her brother's problem. She completely forgot that they had to read aloud in English class. She mentally kicked herself for not warning Ryan ahead of time.

"Sharpay!"

Sharpay looked down the hall and saw Gabriella and the rest of her friends coming down the hall.

"Are you coming with us?" Kelsi asked.

"To where?" Ryan asked.

"The mall"

'Crap!' Sharpay thought 'Ryan wasn't supposed to know about that!'

"Uh, I can't" Sharpay hoped they would leave.

"Why, Shar? It sounds like it would be fun." Sharpay looked at her brother. She knew where this was going. "Why don't you go, I have detention anyway. I'll tell mom and dad where you are when I get home."

Gabriella squealed with excitement "This is going to be sooo fun!"

Sharpay stared at her brother. She knew he had good intentions; he wanted her to have fun. She bit her lip. She didn't want Ryan home alone, but now she was stuck with going to the mall with her friends, leaving Ryan to fend for himself.

"Yeah." Sharpay sighed as Ryan smiled and said goodbye.

"Man, that kid is _weird_!" Jason let out a breath, like he had been afraid to breathe in Ryan germs or something. Sharpay sighed.

"Let's go!" Kelsi bounced on her feet. This was probably her first social outing ever. She clung to Jason's arm. 'She's weird too' Sharpay thought, but didn't mention.

Ryan sat in Ms. Snider's classroom. He had to sit for 45 minutes. It didn't seem that bad at first; all he had to do was sit in a desk and do nothing. He couldn't talk, read (or pretend to at least), or even sleep. After 10 minutes Ryan realized that 45 minutes was going to be a horribly long amount of time. Ryan looked at the pictures on the walls: one of Ms. Snider holding a book. Actually there were about twelve of those, a picture of her with a little girl who was holding a book, and a picture of her reading with tons of cats in the background. For some reason, Ryan knew she was a cat person.

Finally, Ryan's 45 minutes were up. He apologized again to Ms. Snider, wished her a happy summer, and took off. When he got to the parking lot, he saw the car still parked in the same spot; Sharpay must have gotten a ride to the mall with her friends.

When Ryan got home, he nervously opened the front door. Richard Evans usually is at work at this time, but he sometimes takes the day off, or comes home early. The house was completely silent, so Ryan left a note on the counter saying that Sharpay had gone to the mall, and that she'd be back before dinner. Ryan crept upstairs. He closed the door to his room and locked it. He lied down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

At six o clock, Sharpay arrived at the house. Her mother was in the kitchen cooking.

"Hey mom, where's Ryan?"

"He's upstairs, but he should be down soon. Dinner's almost ready."

Ryan came into the kitchen. He smiled at Sharpay.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah…" Sharpay lied. She didn't have fun because she was too worried about Ryan. He seemed ok though, and their father hadn't returned from work yet.

"Sharpay, could you set the table please?"

Sharpay pouted "But I always have to do it! Why can't Ryan?"

Mary Evans turned and stared at Sharpay.

"Yeah mom, I don't mind. I'd like to help." Mary turned to Ryan. She gave a small smile.

"I guess…" She smiled at Ryan, but as soon as his back was turned she shot a nasty glare at Sharpay. "Thanks" she whispered as Ryan opened the cabinet to get plates "This will take forever!" Sharpay frowned in confusion "You'll see," said Mary.

Ryan placed four plates on the table. Then he brought out a set of silverware, a napkin, and a cup for each one. He carefully set a plate in front of each seat. Then he grabbed a set of silverware and a napkin. He placed the napkin right next to the plate and carefully arranged the silverware in order of spoon, fork, knife. The process took almost 5 minutes. Ryan grabbed another plate.

"Fine!" Sharpay snapped. She was always impatient "I'll do it!" She snatched the plate from Ryan.

"But-"

"It's ok. Ryan, I need to talk to you for a minute." Mary stood up and walked into the hallway, closely followed by Ryan. "Your father called, he had an extremely rough day at work." Ryan's heart began to pound. Usually the words _your father _and _rough day_ meant a night of retribution…

"So, do you think you could try _not _getting on his nerves tonight? His temper will be short. Just keep quiet and try not to say anything stupid." Ryan nodded.

"Table's set." Sharpay said, poking her head out, just as their father came in the door.

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Meh, sorry guys! It got a little long... Thanks for all the praise too! (uwah! I feel special!) I was excited to see that I had reached my 500 hits goal (in just a day and a half!). Thanks for your support!


	6. Chapter 6

Wow. I feel very special! Over 700 hits! I hope to someday make my goal of 100 reviews...

Disclaimer: Using my ninja skills, I attacked the Disney headquaters, and demanded (at ninja-star point) that they sign HSM over to me. They were happy to oblige. (actually, they just called security)

_I Trust You- Chapter Six_

Ryan and Sharpay sat down in their usual spots across from each other for dinner. Mary and Richard sat across from each other as well. Sharpay glanced at her father then Ryan nervously. Ryan didn't notice. In fact, he didn't notice anything in the room except one thing: his silverware. They were to hid left instead of right, and they were set up fork knife spoon. Ryan bit his lip. He tried to ignore it, but that was all he could think about. Before he could stop himself he reached out and began to straighten out his silverware.

"So, Sharpay, how was your day?" Mary reached out for the salad.

"It was ok, I mean, all we did was party practically. I'm just glad summer is here."

"That's nice. And Ryan, how was yours?" After a few moments of silence everyone stared at Ryan. He was too busy rearranging his silverware. "Ryan!" Mary snapped. Ryan jumped, hitting the bottom of the table with his knees. Mary smiled. "I said how was your day?" Ryan stared at her, then glanced at Sharpay for help. He glanced quickly at his father, then to Sharpay, and then stared at his mother, completely confused. Ryan knew that if he talked he risked the chance of igniting the bomb…

"Um…-"

"You're just as stupid as ever, aren't you?" Ryan turned to his father.

"Now Richard, I'm sure he's improved-"

"No, he hasn't. I mean, watch!" Richard pulled out a pen and wrote on his napkin. He then threw it at Ryan. "Read that."

Ryan jumped slightly, then reached for the napkin. Ryan stared at the napkin. He didn't say anything. This was more embarrassing than English class.

"Look at him! He's so stupid! It's just one word. Sound it out Ryan." He put on a mock-sweet voice. Ryan's eyes filled with tears.

"Richard-"

"Just look at him Mary! Look at what he does with his silverware!" Richard reached next to him where Ryan sat and scattered his silverware across the table. Richard stood up. "I'm sick to death of him." He stood next to Ryan. "And how many times do I have to tell you to take that stupid hat off at the table!" He snatched Ryan's hat. Ryan jumped. Richard threw it down on Ryan's dinner plate. He gave Ryan a forceful slap across the face and stormed out to the hall.

"Just once." Mary was close to tears. "Just once I would like a normal dinner, Ryan, was that too much to ask?" She gave her son a ferocious glare before chasing after Richard.

The silence in the room was overwhelming. Ryan stared at his hat. He lifted it up and tried to wipe the barbeque sauce off it. He then set it on the table, next to his plate, and began to realign his silverware. Sharpay watched him for a while, then stood up and went upstairs.

A short while later, Sharpay glanced into Ryan's room. 'He must've come up sometime after I did,' she thought. She watched him with a small smile on her face; Ryan sat in the middle of his bedroom. He had a large fish tank, but only one fish. Sharpay smiled. Ryan got that stupid fish almost a year ago. He was walking by a pet store at the mall when suddenly he stopped. He stared at this one fish. Sharpay and her mother came up behind him and looked to. Sharpay had thought it was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen. But Ryan loved it. He refused to move until their mother agreed to let him take it home for a pet. Of course Sharpay wanted a pet too, so her mother allowed her to buy a hamster. The hamster died after a week, but Ryan still had his fish.

Ryan stared into his glass fish tank, following the motions of his fish with his eyes. It was one of those weird fish with the pokey things on it. Sharpay watched Ryan tap the tank a few times, before, suddenly, the fish puffed up into a larger size, looking like a large pokey ball. Ryan jumped and gave a cry of alarm before overbalancing and falling backwards.

Sharpay laughed. Ryan looked up startled.

"I didn't know you were there…"

"Yeah, just thought I'd check up on you…" She was about to leave when Ryan stopped her.

"Shar?" Sharpay turned back to Ryan.

"What?"

"Can I have a hug?"

"What?" Sharpay frowned in confusion.

"Well, when we were little, when something bad would happen, and I would feel sad, you used to give me a hug." Sharpay stared at him. "You know, to try to make me feel better…"

"Grow up." Sharpay rolled her eyes and left Ryan behind. She loved Ryan and all, but sometimes he could be so childish.

Sharpay walked out of the bathroom, having finished her nightly ritual. She could hear her parents fighting in their room. As she climbed into bed, she wondered how Ryan was doing. She got up and slipped her fuzzy pink bathrobe on. She slipped out of her room. She almost tripped over Ryan. He sat on the floor, hugging his knees, right by their parents door listening. Sharpay sat beside him

"Look, it's not _my_ fault he turned out the way he did!"

"Well, you carried him for nine months!"

"So? Would you rather I just have had an abortion? Maybe kept Sharpay and put Ryan up for adoption?"

"Listen, just take your son and leave him with your parents."

"Oh so now he's _my_ son? You're just as much at fault as I am!"

Sharpay gave Ryan a small half-smile, which he didn't return.

"Shar? What does this say?" Ryan pulled the napkin out of his pocket and gave it to Sharpay. She stared at the napkin, which had D-U-M-B-A-S-S written across it in big letters. Sharpay sighed and wrapped her arms around Ryan.

"Sorry about what I said earlier." Sharpay felt Ryan's warm tears seeping through her robe. She kissed his cheek, helped him up, then said goodnight.

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Alright, so not very action packed _yet,_ but it will be soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, so, sorry for the wait. Also sorry that you don't get to see who ends up with who. I'm still tallying up the points (got a lot of private messages with responses), but you should know in a chapter or two. Anyway, I would just like to wish you all a happy Fourth of July! (For me it has been 15 since the Fourth began. My town is way into the fourth; lots of booths and carnivals and a crazy-monkey firework display going on tomorrow! I plan to lug my camera and tripod around to get some good photos...)

Disclaimer: Don't own it (hey, it's 12:15, too tired! Can you blame me?)

Anyway, here we go!

_I Trust You- Chapter 7_

_Bee beep. Bee beep._

Sharpay turned off her alarm clock. It was their first day of summer vacation. She sat up and listened. Things seemed pretty quiet; all she could hear was the TV. She grabbed her bathrobe and crept downstairs. Ryan sat on a couch, an empty bowl of cereal on the coffee table.

"Hey Ryan" Ryan jumped

"Oh, hey Shar. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, where's mom and dad?"

"Well, I think dad had to go into the office, and mom is out with friends. Dad should be home at noon."

Sharpay glanced at the clock. It was already 9:34.

"Are you going out with your friends today?" Ryan asked as he picked up his bowl and walked to the kitchen. Sharpay followed.

"No, I was intending to stay home." Ryan washed his bowl. Sharpay thought about the last time they did something together. Ryan usually spent his time at home. "Do you want to do something?"

"Together?"

"Yeah."

Ryan frowned slightly. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, hang at the mall maybe?"

"I guess that could be fun…"

A short while later, after scrawling a note for her father saying where they were and when they would return, they climbed into the red family car. They arrived at the mall within 10 minutes.

By noon, they were starting to get hungry. They made their way over to the food court.

"Sharpay!" Sharpay and Ryan stopped. Waving her arms at the other end of the food court was Gabriella. She was accompanied by the rest of Sharpay's friends. Sharpay sighed; she'd hoped to spend some time alone with Ryan today, but Ryan had already noticed them.

"Hey Shar, your friends are here! Would you like to go say hi?"

'No' thought Sharpay "Sure." They walked over to where Gabriella and the others sat. Sharpay noticed everyone glance at Ryan; she knew what they were thinking. They didn't want him there.

"Hey Sharpay, how are you? I thought you said you were busy today?"

"Well," They had asked if she wanted to hang at the mall again, but she declined, saying she was too busy. "I wanted to spend some time with my brother."

"It's ok Sharpay." That was exactly what she didn't want to hear. "You can hang out with your friends. I don't mind. I can walk around for a bit or go home." Sharpay suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, why don't you stick around with us?" She could tell everyone wanted to object, but they just smiled.

A short while later, everyone decided they were hungry and ready to eat.

"It's pretty crowded, if we get up, we might loose our seats" Kelsi said.

"I can stay and watch them, I'm not very hungry," Ryan offered. Everyone agreed (too quickly Sharpay though). They all stood in line.

"Man. No offense Sharpay, but your brother is odd. I'm embarrassed just being _seen_ with him." Chad said. Sharpay would have told him off, but Troy was laughing, and for some reason couldn't bring herself to. She glanced guiltily at Ryan, but was startled to see two other guys talking to him.

"Hey, who are they? Do they go to our school?"

"No, I think they're from some other school. Somewhere near here I think." Troy said.

"Yeah, I recognize them. We beat them in a basketball game once…" Chad said.

Sharpay frowned. Ryan didn't know anyone outside of Albuquerque, and these boys definitely didn't look very friendly. "I'll be right back," She said. When she got close, she could hear their conversation.

"You're that Evans kid, right?"

Ryan stared at them.

"The drama boy? Ryan?" Ryan still didn't answer.

"Hey!" He suddenly grabbed Ryan by the collar of his shirt. "If someone asks you a question you answer!" Ryan's hands flew defensively to his face; he was so used to his father's beatings. The boys laughed. "What's wrong Evans? Scared of getting your pretty face beaten?" The boy raised his fist.

"STOP!" Sharpay screamed. She didn't have the courage to protect Ryan from her father, but now she had a chance to save him from another beating. "Leave him _alone_!"

"Who's this Evans? Your girlfriend?"

"No, I'm his sister-"

"Well shut up and sit down" The boy reached out and shoved Sharpay into the table. Ryan quickly grabbed the boy by his wrist.

"_Don't you dare touch her!" _Ryan's eyes narrowed into an uncharacteristic glare.

"Oh, so _now _you want to fight? Well Evans, you've been asking to have your wimp-ass beaten for a while now. I'm here to grant you your request." The boy turned to his friend and laughed at his own joke. As he turned, Ryan's fist collided with his face. The boy seemed momentarily stunned. Sharpay couldn't help but smile. 'I guess Ryan's not as wimpy as he looks.'

"Ok Evans! If that's how you want to do things!" They grabbed Ryan by the arms and dragged him off in the directions of the bathrooms.

"Troy! Chad!" She screamed, "Go after them! Please! Don't let them hurt Ryan!" They looked up. Obviously they hadn't been watching.

"What happened?" Troy asked.

"Some guys took Ryan off to the bathrooms, I think they're gonna beat him up!" Sharpay was worried; she didn't want her brother to take any more beatings than he already did.

Troy and Chad made their way to the bathrooms.

"Hey, wanna go check out that new sports shop?" Chad asked.

"No, we said we'd help Sharpay's brother."

"Yeah… But it would be fun if we took our time…" Chad was beyond serious. Troy thought about it for a minute, but then decided it would be best to do as Sharpay said.

* * *

Ok, just to answer a common question I had in my personal messages, I decided on Ryan having to do absolutely nothing for 45 minutes because of personal experience. I got detention for improper treatment of my new biology teacher. he was _way _short, so I (being the tallest girl in class) would mock him behind his back. Anyway, 45 minutes is a LONG time, especially if you are not allowed to do _anything!_

Oh yeah, did anyone watch Disney Channel Games? Grabeel SO rocked! I guess that makes up for his whole "_sunscreen_" thing. Lol. Also, anyone know where I can watch the whole thing (only saw a bit of it).


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, so here comes Chapter Eight already. How exciting. Oh yeah. Don't ask about the name. It's always been my favorite name. I'm naming my first girl that.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

_I Trust You- Chapter Eight_

Ryan slammed against the wall of the boy's bathroom at the Albuquerque mall. The boy roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him to face them.

"Please leave me alone, I don't even know who you are." In response the boy struck Ryan hard in the face. Ryan could taste the blood in his mouth, but didn't retaliate.

"That's not important right now. What is important is what you want on your grave!" Ryan couldn't help but roll his eyes; even _he _could think of something more original to say. After a few minutes of continuous punches and kicks, and a threat to have his head 'flushed' down the toilet, the bathroom door opened and the beatings ceased.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Ryan recognized Troy's voice.

"Nothing, we were just leaving" They pushed past Troy and Chad without another word, snickering slightly. Troy walked over and helped Ryan up. Ryan pulled out a few paper towels and used them to help stop his nosebleed.

"Did Sharpay send you?" He asked, pinching his nose.

"Yeah."

"Go out there and tell her I'm fine and not to worry. Nothing's wrong. It doesn't hurt."

Troy shrugged at Chad and left the bathroom as Ryan turned on the faucets to wash his face.

Sharpay sat outside the bathroom, nervously bouncing from one foot to the other.

"Where's Ryan?" She asked as Troy and Chad came out.

"Still in the bathroom, but he said to say that he was fine and that it doesn't hurt." Sharpay sighed. She expected Ryan would say that. "Was he hurt?"

"Well, his nose was bleeding, but I think that's it." Ryan came out. Troy was impressed that Ryan was able to clean the blood off of his shirt. Ryan smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Where's Gabriella, Kelsi and Taylor?" He asked.

"They're finding a new table to sit at because _someone_ gave up our seats" Chad said. Sharpay shot him a glare just as someone called out to them.

"Troy! Over here!" They looked over and saw Kelsi and Taylor waving. Gabriella seemed to be deep in conversation with another girl. Sharpay frowned slightly. She hadn't met her before. As they got closer Gabriella stopped talking to greet them.

"Hi everyone, this is Shaylee, I just met her in the McDonald's line. She's going to be a new student next year at East High. She'll be in our grade."

"Hi" She said, in a slightly airy voice. She had deep teal-blue eyes, and cherry-red, loosely curled hair.

Sharpay wondered why Gabriella would be talking to her. Gabriella was the prettiest girl in the school, but now it seems like she might have some competition. Actually, that was a lie. It looks like Gabriella will just have to excel in other areas.

Shaylee stared at each of them in turn, as if she were some sort of scientist examining different specimens to determine their species.

"Your eyes are a little too close together," She said suddenly pointing to Sharpay. "Your nose is slightly off-center," she said pointing to Gabriella. "But other than that you two are picturesque."

"Shaylee's a photographer." Kelsi explained. Apparently Shaylee'd been doing this for a while. "She's been around the world to take pictures. Some have even been put into magazines. They're really good" She added, pointing to a pile of photos.

Shaylee blushed slightly. Sharpay became envious of the way she could turn pink in the cheeks and still remain so pretty…

"They aren't _that_ good," she said, stuffing them back into her folder.

"So, Shaylee, where are you from?" Troy asked, sitting next to her in what he hoped to be casual way. Gabriella glared at him.

"Originally or where was I before I came here?"

"Both."

"Well, I was born in Australia, and last year I lived in Berlin."

"Berlin as in Germany?"

"Ja." She replied smiling. Sharpay became envious of that too.

"So, have you ever been to America before?"

"Yes, we lived here for a few months before I decided to take photos in Africa."

Their conversation was interrupted when Ryan's phone rang.

"Hello?" Ryan's face paled slightly as he glanced at a nearby clock. "Yeah Dad, we'll be on our way." He closed his phone. "Shar, what time did you say we'd be back?"

"About 12:30."

"Oh, well, dad called. It's almost 1:30 now. We should probably get going." Sharpay mentally kicked herself. She should have been watching the time. Of course Ryan would be receiving their punishment for being late. '_I'm so sorry Ryan._' She thought.

"Well, it was fun visiting with you guys." Ryan said politely. "Nice meeting you Shaylee."

Shaylee nodded. Sharpay pretended to be too distracted to remember to say goodbye to her.

Within ten minutes, Sharpay and Ryan arrived at the Evans mansion. Sharpay opened the door as quietly as she could. The hall seemed empty. She motioned Ryan in and they made their way as quietly as they could upstairs to their rooms. Sharpay waited till Ryan's door was closed before going into her room. She closed the door behind her and sat at her desk.

"How nice of you to come back home." Sharpay jumped slightly at the sound of Richard's voice. It sounded different. Like he was upset. Like he was going to beat her. Like it did every time he talked to Ryan.

"Ryan!" Sharpay screamed. The door banged open just as Richard's hand slapped Sharpay forcefully across the face. Sharpay was more stunned than hurt; it was the first time Richard ever hit his daughter.

"_Don't touch her!_"Ryan ran forward and caught their father's wrist just as he was raising it again and shoved him away from Sharpay. He put his arms protectively around Sharpay standing between the two. "Go hide in my room. Lock the door. Don't open it." All Sharpay could do was nod dumbly. "Don't call anyone. Don't tell anyone. Don't call mom-" Ryan was suddenly cut off when his head was grabbed and slammed face-first forcefully into the wall behind him. Blood stained the wall and dripped onto Sharpay's carpet. Ryan slumped down as his father continuously kicked him. Just then the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Mary Evans called. Richard stopped, kicked Ryan once more, then went downstairs to greet his wife. Sharpay stood motionless for a few moments, then ran and kneeled next to Ryan. She'd never seen so much blood before in her life. Ryan's face was covered with it, and his hair was matted with blood. Sharpay tapped his shoulder gently. He didn't respond. His eyes were closed, and his breathing very shallow. She cradled his unconscious head for a while, her tears mingling with the blood on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way Ryan. So sorry."

* * *

Mmm...blood makes me sick. But, as I said before, Shaylee is like my most favorite name. It's celtic/gaelic, so I thought, well, Ryan is gaelic, Sharpay starts with sh, Troy ends with y and Shaylee has a Y in it, so why not? By the way, for those of you who don't know (I'm sure most do), Ja is German for yes 

Go to my Profile to see a link to see a picture of what I pictured Shaylee's hair to look like (I love that color! you might have to copy the link to your toolbar).

Anyway, please Readand Review! (over 2000 hits and getting close to my 100 review goal!)


	9. Chapter 9

Wee! It's way late and I'm way tired, but I wanted to get this posted since I'd been working on it all day (and I have a busy day tomorrow and might not be able to post tomorrow). I also decided to put a short preview at the end of each chapter from now on.

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, BUT SHAYLEE IS MINE! (woot! for once I can say that and it's actually true!)

_I Trust You- Chapter Nine_

_**10 years ago…**_

6-year-old Sharpay sat reading her book. She smiled and flipped the page. She was completely unaware that her father was in a horrifically bad mood. He walked up quietly as the little Sharpay sat singing along with the radio. He quickly became irritated with her voice. He raised a hand and was about collide with Sharpay's head, when a small boy leapt out of nowhere. Ryan grabbed his father by the arm and pulled his wrist down. Ryan sank his teeth into his father's wrist. His father gave out a cry of alarm and Sharpay jumped up in alarm. Richard Evans dragged his son into Ryan's room. He began to furiously punch Ryan repeatedly. Ryan's eyes feel with tears. His father had almost hit Sharpay. Ryan wouldn't be able to live with himself if his father began to hit Sharpay too. Just then, as his father was punching his little, fragile body, Ryan made a pact with himself.

'_As long as I'm alive, I won't ever let him hurt my sister._'

Present 

Ryan's eyes fluttered opened. He was confused: for some reason he lying on Sharpay's floor with a splitting headache.

"Ryan?" Someone whispered. Ryan turned his head to the side. He could see Sharpay sitting near him. He suddenly remembered what happened and bolted upright.

"Shar? Are you hurt? He hit you? It hurt didn't it? Oh Shar! I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed, his eyes tearing up. Sharpay reached out and grabbed Ryan by the shoulders. He was often very hysterical after something bad happens, especially if Sharpay is in any danger at all.

"It's ok Ryan. I'm fine! He didn't hurt me." Ryan was still breathing hard, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the dried blood. Ryan began to rock back and forth.

"What happened? Did he hit you anymore? Sharpay I'm so sorry! I'm so pathetic!" He wailed.

"RYAN!" Ryan jumped slightly. That seemed to calm him down a little. "I'm fine. Really. It hurts me more seeing _you_ get hurt. It's almost like I can feel it every time dad hits you." Ryan sniffed a few times.

"I'm sorry." He turned away from Sharpay, ashamed that he was crying in front of her. He didn't want her to worry. He wanted her to be happy. She had to be happy. For both of them.

Ryan tried to stand up, but felt extremely dizzy.

"Ryan… Ryan, you've lost a lot of blood. You really need to go to the hospital or something. Let me go call them. Please-"

"No." Ryan said. "I'll be fine. You haven't called or told anyone have you?" He asked. Sharpay sighed. "No. You told me not to." Sharpay stood up and helped Ryan to his feet. She helped him over to her bed and carefully eased him onto the mattress. Ryan winced slightly. She hurried off to her bathroom and returned with a bowl of warm water and a washrag. She carefully wiped the dried blood off of his face and checked for any visible wounds. The bleeding had stopped a while ago.

"Ryan, you're to exhausted to make it all the way to your room. Plus, you'll have to go by mom and dad's room, and I don't want to risk dad coming out or something… You can just sleep here. I can sleep on my couch." Sharpay pulled a few extra blankets and a pillow out of her closet. She put the pillow and a blanket on her couch, then walked over and gently draped one over Ryan. Ryan protested, saying that he was perfectly capable of making it to his room, but was soon fast asleep. Sharpay watched him quietly. He seemed so peaceful and carefree when he slept. Sharpay closed her eyes and tried to remember the last memory she had of them as a happy family. She had only one…

**_12 years ago…_**

Four year olds Ryan and Sharpay sat on the swings of the nearby park. Each of them had a nanny to watch them because their parents were often busy. It was the Fourth of July. Sharpay jumped off of her swing at the approach of a black car. Their parents had decided to spend the rest of day with them. They excused the nannies for the day and carried a large basket along and set up a picnic. Sharpay and Ryan sat beside each other, sharing a particularly large piece of watermelon. After dinner, Richard Evans pulled out a bag of fireworks. They spent hours watching "Magic Snakes" grow out of the flames and various other explosions. At 10 o'clock, the family set off to watch the town's fireworks display. On the way back Ryan slowly drifted off to sleep, his head leaning on Sharpay's shoulder. Sharpay rested her head on her brother's and soon she was sleeping too.

Present 

Sharpay smiled slightly at the memory. She remembered how little Ryan would yelp and cry with every deafening explosion. Their father gently took Ryan in his arms and hugged him close, telling him that it was a magical night, and he shouldn't cry because he was with his family and they loved each other. Sharpay's eyes began to water as she remembered how just a few days after that their father hit Ryan for the first time.

Sharpay ran a hand through Ryan's hair checking to make sure that the bleeding had stopped. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He didn't know, but every night, after she was sure he was asleep, Sharpay would sneak down the hallway and into Ryan's room. She would quietly whisper goodnight and kiss his forehead.

* * *

Sniff. Short chapter. Ish. Anyway, please Review! 

More to come: Sharpay and Ryan are at the mall again when lo and behold, Shaylee is taking pictures of the scenery. Sharpay thinks of an excuse to get away ("I have to go to the bathroom!"), leaving Ryan alone with the photographer. What do they talk about?


	10. Chapter 10

Alright! So, I did have time to post Chapter 10 today. Onething I would like to celebrate is... 100 REVIEWS! Woot!

_I Trust You- Chapter 10_

_Bee beep. Bee beep._

Sharpay woke up with a start. She dashed across her bedroom as fast as she could to turn the alarm clock off before it woke up Ryan. She was still half awake. She tripped slightly, knocking her alarm clock to the floor. It banged loudly on the floor. Sharpay dove down and scooped it up, pressing buttons at random. The beeping still hadn't ceased. Frustrated, she ripped the cord out of the wall.

"You do realize that you made more sound turning the alarm clock off than the clock did itself?"

Sharpay smiled. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I've been up for a while now."

"Are you felling better?" Sharpay asked. Ryan smiled. Sharpay knew he should probably stay in bed for a few days, but of course Ryan wouldn't. He'd say he was fine and go about the day as usual. Sharpay sighed.

"Do you have plans today?"

"No." Sharpay sighed as Ryan sat up and began to fold the blanket. He inspected the bed; there was only one bloodstain. His head had started bleeding again in the night.

"Oh. Sorry Shar." Ryan looked upset with himself.

"It's no big deal. Why don't we go to the mall and get some new bed sheets? I've been meaning to for a while." Ryan smiled.

Sharpay and Ryan arrived at the mall around noon. They sat together and shared a smoothie.

"What color are you gonna get for your new bed sheets?" Ryan asked, standing up and tossing their garbage in the nearby can. Sharpay stood up and grabbed her purse. They started walking off towards JC Penny. "Well I was thinking…oh no." She stopped and stared for a moment. "Uh, I have to go to the bathroom" She said. She hurried off. Ryan turned to watch her go, bumping into someone.

"Oh sorry!" Ryan said. He looked down. He recognized the red hair. "Oh! You're Shaylee, right? I'm sorry about that! Is your camera ok?" Shaylee had her camera out and was apparently taking pictures of the mall.

"It's fine," she said, picking it up and checking the lenses. She looked up at Ryan. "You're Ryan right?" she frowned suddenly. "Are you feeling ok? You're really pale, like you've lost blood or something." Ryan remembered how she noticed the slightest things that most people didn't notice. He'd lived with Sharpay all his life and he'd never thought her eyes were close together.

"Oh, I'm fine. I've just been feeling slightly ill lately."

"Oh. You should go to the doctor's." Shaylee packed her camera back into its case. She looked up at Ryan. "So, who're you here with?"

"My sister, but she's in the bathroom right now. It'll take her a while." Shaylee smiled slightly. "So, you like to sing?"

"Yeah. And dance- hey! How'd you know about that?"

"Jason said so yesterday. Well, I have to go; my parents wanted my home by noon. It's probably 12:30 by now. Sorry to go like this, we didn't get much of a chance to talk. We can get together and do something sometime, if you want." Ryan was almost speechless; it was the first time someone had ever invited him to do something.

"Why?" Shaylee smiled at him sweetly.

"Well, I find you interesting I guess."

"Huh?"

"Well, it sort of like, you make me feel _sad_ I guess. When you were in the bathroom yesterday, I met Gabriella. She introduced me to Taylor, Kelsi, and Jason. They said there were for others with them; Troy, Gabriella's boyfriend, Chad, Taylor's boyfriend, a girl named Sharpay, and her brother named Ryan. Jason said that you were a drama freak. That you were into singing and dancing. That you were an absolute loser. When you guys came back from the bathroom, and Gabriella introduced everyone, you stood out the most. Jason had said you were a loser, but what I saw before me was an incredibly lonely boy, and believe me Ryan, I've seen lonely. I've seen things that could keep you awake at night for hours; I've seen children alone on the roads of Africa, slowly starving to death; I've seen countless children in China being put up for adoption; I've seen acres of land completely destroyed and replaced with housing developments; I've seen people dying from disease, poverty, hunger, and hate. Believe me Ryan when I say that I know the face of a lonely person."

Ryan blinked a few times. That was probably one of the most…_different _monologues he'd ever heard. But, she'd said he was lonely. Was he? All he had was Sharpay, and she was always there for him. What was he missing? Was it because he had no friends? He had Sharpay. Did he need a friend? Sharpay had friends, besides him. Maybe _he_ needed a friend too.

Shaylee watched Ryan quietly; she could tell he was thinking about friends and loneliness. Ryan's eyes began to water suddenly.

"Aah! You're crying!" Ryan turned away quickly. "Wah! I didn't mean it in a bad way! I didn't mean to make you cry!" Shaylee bounced from foot to foot, nervously wringing her wrists. Ryan wiped his eyes. "Do you need a friend?" She asked. Ryan smiled slightly. "I've never had a friend. My family does a lot of moving, and I do a lot of traveling, to take pictures and whatnot." Ryan smiled and nodded. Shaylee smiled and blushed slightly. Suddenly she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Sorry if I made you cry." She said. She patted his arm, and just like that, she left.

"Is she gone?" Ryan jumped slightly, he'd forgotten about Sharpay. In fact, he'd forgotten about everyone else in the world. It was just him and Shaylee.

* * *

Ooh! I got my haircut today! It's way cool. It's really really short now!

One more thing, I might not do the whole Preview thing, because a lot of the time I write three different ideas for a chapter, pick one that turns out best, then post that. In fact, I almost ditched the whole Shaylee thing.


	11. Chapter 11

Ok, so I heard that in High School 2, Ryan might have a romantical interest, played by Danielle Panabaker. So when I heard that of course I immediately started research on her (I had no idea who she was) and found her website. She's ok, I guess. I mean, heck yes I'm jealous of her! Especially if they kiss! The good thing about having Ryan fall for a girl is that that will hopefully stamp out people's belief that he is gay (I don't think he is, I think he's just flamboyant). I was actually surprised when I saw Danielle's picture; she sort of reminded me of Shaylee (she has red hair at least)...

Disclaimer: Man, I just wish thismovie was mine, then I could make the sequal and Ryan would fall for _ME_!

_I Trust You- Chapter Eleven_

The rest of the day went by in one long blur to Ryan; Sharpay went from store to store, looking at different types of bed sheets, talking about different things such as who's friends with who, why Troy is going out with Gabriella, how dare she tell her that her eyes were too close together, and other little things. Ryan nodded at all the appropriate times, but didn't listen to a word she said.

_"We can get together and do something sometime, if you want."_

Of course he wanted to. She said sometime. How long would sometime be? He didn't know her number, so he couldn't call and ask.

"Ryan?" Ryan looked up at Sharpay. "I said, are you ready to go home now?"

"I guess. Did you find bed sheets?"

"Of course! They're the perfect color. They bring out my eyes I think. Not that that matters, my eyes are beautiful anyway! Oh and there's Troy and Gabriella." Ryan glanced at Sharpay. She was good at hiding her crush on Troy, but being her twin, he could read her like an open book. Not that he _could _read an open book. He could pretend to at least.

Gabriella and Troy made their way over to talk with Sharpay. Gabriella talked animatedly for almost five minutes straight, barely pausing to take a breath.

"Guess who _I_ saw today?"

"Who?"

"_Shaylee_"

"Really? What'd she say? What was she doing? Did she talk about me?"

Troy rolled his eyes; Shaylee must've been their main topic of conversation since they met her.

"I don't know, I ran off to the bathrooms. I think she and Ryan talked; she was gone when I got back and Ryan was standing where she used to be."

"Really Ryan? What'd she say? Did she talk about me?"

Ryan was startled. That was the first time he'd ever been brought into their conversations.

"Um…no, I don't remember her saying anything about you-"

"Good" Gabriella interrupted. "I don't know if I like her yet. She seems weird; what kind of person goes around the world just to take _pictures_?"

"A photographer." Ryan said in a 'duh' voice. For some reason, he was getting upset with Gabriella.

"Either way. She's weird. Ugly too." Ryan rolled his eyes. 'You're just jealous' he thought. "I called her cell phone earlier and she answered in _German_."

"You know her number?" Everyone turned to stare at Ryan. "Well, we were talking, and she wanted to do something so-"

"OhmygawdRyan!" Gabriella squealed, "You have to call her! "She took out a piece of paper and scrawled a number on it. "Here, call her tonight and talk about me and see what she says! Tell me everything! Even if it's bad. That's even better actually!"

'So you can have a valid reason to hate her' Ryan thought, but took the paper.

Arriving back at their home, Sharpay and Ryan did their usual routine before going up to their rooms; Sharpay checked the front hall before entering, motioned Ryan in, then they made their way upstairs.

Ryan closed the door to his room. There was a lock, but he never locked it, incase Sharpay needed him. Ryan sat at his desk and stared at the surface, thinking about what Shaylee had said. She did seem like she wanted to get together sometime… Ryan dug in his pocket and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper. Ryan stared at the paper for what seemed like hours, before tossing it aside, then stared at it, and tossed it aside again, contemplating whether or not to call her.

Ryan grabbed his cell phone and punched Shaylee's number in.

"Hallo dies ist Shaylee, wer ist dies?"

"Uh, is this Shaylee?"

"Ryan?"

Ryan couldn't help but feel a little excited; she could recognize him by his voice!

"Yeah. I just thought I would call because you said you might want to get together to do something sometime…"

"Oh! You actually wanted to? How exciting! I didn't think you would! How fun!" Ryan could feel the excitement in her voice.

"Um, yeah. Did you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Sure! Like what?"

Ryan paused a moment. He had no idea what friends would do together, so he thought about what Sharpay did with her friends.

"Well, there's always the mall…"

"Sure that sounds like fun!"

"Ok, well, do you want me to pick you up?"

"Sure."

Shaylee gave him her address, saying that he can come whenever he wanted. They talked for only a few minutes more; Shaylee was called down for dinner.

Ryan sat and stared at his phone for a while after their conversation ended. Suddenly he was full of excitement. He rushed to his door and down the hall to Sharpay's room. He was about to knock on her door when he stopped suddenly. If he told Sharpay that he had plans to go to the mall with Shaylee, she might tell Gabriella, and if Gabriella knew he was going to the mall with Shaylee, of course she would follow them, then demand to know _everything_ that happened.

Ryan turned to go back to his room. He passed by his parent's room and walked back to his room. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into his soft-blue bed sheets and turned off the lamp by his bed, feeling more and more excited by the minute. He finally fell asleep. The door to his room opened, and a figure moved quietly over to his bed. Kissing him lightly on the forehead, Sharpay whispered "Goodnight"

* * *

Ok, so, if anyone learns anything about Ryan's interests in the next movie, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! 

Please Review!


	12. Chapter 12

Wee! Chapter Twelve! sigh. I've noticed a serious drop in the number of people reading this. That sort of makes me sad...oh well. If it continues to downslide, I might ditch the story. But Ihope not!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

_I Trust You- Chapter Twelve_

Ryan woke up early. He got dressed and sat down at his desk. He wondered when would be a good time to call Shaylee. He went downstairs and got out a bowl and spoon. He poured some Cheerios, and then went back to his room. By 7:30 he could hardly wait anymore. He decided to waste time going through his closet. Ryan picked through his shirts and pants. Ryan paused, looking at a short-sleeve shirt. He hadn't worn 'normal' shorts since the fifth grade. He preferred the loose, soft fabric; sometimes he felt to restricted in normal shirts. That and with looser clothing it didn't rub against his bruises and swollen injuries. Ryan took off his shirt and examined his chest. Sharpay didn't know, but one time, after coming home drunk, their father had chased him with a knife. Ryan didn't tell Sharpay, but he still had nightmares about it. Sharpay knew about the scissors incident though. That happened in fifth grade. Their father had asked Ryan to get him some scissors, and when Ryan brought him some he said they were the wrong ones and sliced Ryan's arm. Ryan had worn a short sleeve shirt to school a few days after that, and the other boys teased him and told the teacher that he was a 'cutter.' The teacher sent him to the principal's office who called his parents and they came in. Ryan's mother cried, saying she had no idea, she kept hugging Ryan and saying she loved him. Ryan's dad sat quietly, not saying anything. Ryan knew he was in for the punishment of his life that evening.

A sudden ring interrupted Ryan's thoughts. He jumped up, threw a white undershirt on and ran to his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Ryan? This is Shaylee."

"Oh yeah. Hi. I didn't think you'd be awake at this early time…"

"…It's almost 8:00. Anyway, I'm always up early; I like to get early morning photos."

"Oh. So, when did you want me to pick you up?"

"Well, the stores open at nine, why don't you come at 8:30?"

"Sure!" Ryan glanced at the clock. He could make 35 minutes go by fast. There was a knock at his door. "I should go, I'll pick you up at 8:30 then"

"Ok, bye"

Sharpay opened the door. "Who were you talking to?" She asked, inviting herself in.

"No one important"

"Oh. Ok!" She walked over and sat on his bed. She glanced at the bruises on his arms. "What're you getting dressed for? Do we have voice lessons today?"

"No I'm…I'm going out."

"Out? As in, you're going to play in the backyard?"

"Er…no, I meant I'm going somewhere."

"Where?"

"Why?" Ryan glanced at the clock again. "Look Shar, I kind of have to get ready."

"With who? Shaylee? If it is tell me what she says!"

Ryan arrived at the address Shaylee gave him. He wondered vaguely why he felt so nervous. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door slowly creaked open. Mentally, Ryan had already run done the block. Physically, his feet were glued to the spot.

Standing in the doorway was a tall, slim girl. Her hair was long, straight, and pitch black. She wore a matching black shirt and pants. Her skin was so pale it looked like the last time it had sun exposure was when she was brought home from the hospital after being born.

"Um… does Shaylee live here?" The girl didn't respond; she just stared. "Uh… right. I must have the wrong address…" Ryan turned to leave.

"Hey Vi, could you take Dustin for me? I'm expecting a visitor-" Shaylee appeared behind the girl in black. She held a small boy with similar black hair. "Oh, hi Ryan. Sorry, I didn't know you were here." She passed the boy over to the girl, who set him on the floor. The boy stared at Ryan with unblinking bright blue eyes. Ryan hated to think it, but that boy scared the crap out of him.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" The girl's voice was dreary, slow, and chilling.

"Well," Shaylee rolled her eyes. "This is my older sister Violet-"

"Vican." Interrupted the girl.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. _Vican_. And this is my little brother Dustin."

"Hi. My name is Ryan Evans." Ryan said politely, shaking Vican's hand. He reached down to shake Dustin's.

"I wouldn't do that." Vican said.

Dustin grabbed Ryan's hand and brought it to his mouth, biting down on his hand.

"_Dustin!_" Shaylee hissed. "I'm sorry Ryan. We don't know why he does that. Anyway, we should get going. Dustin, say 'I'm sorry Ryan.'"

"I'm sorry Ryan" Dustin said in an exact imitation of Shaylee's voice and tone. It was almost like Shaylee had said it twice. Shaylee waved and shut the door.

"Sorry about that. My family is weird." Shaylee walked up to a parked pick-up truck. "Do you mind if I put my camera and tripod in you car?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks. I feel uncomfortable without them."

"Is that your brother's _natural_ hair color?"

"Ha. No. Vican came home one day and had extra hair dye so she dyed his hair. Mom was upset at first, then Vican said that it was a way for Dustin to express himself at an early age. See, my mom thinks we should express ourselves in whatever ways we want to. I guess that's why she lets me go on all of these photography trips. Anyway, she thinks it's important for people to express themselves. Sorry. My family is weird."

Ryan and Shaylee arrived at the mall around 9:30. It was pretty empty. Shaylee pranced around like a puppy, pointing at all the pretty flowers, trees, and other plants. She said they were _scenic. _Ryan had never looked at the scenery of the mall before. It was sort of pretty.

They found a spot to sit at the food court. Ryan asked Shaylee questions about herself. Apparently she was fluent in quite a few languages. Shaylee talked a little bit about the different places she'd been to, but eventually changed the subject to Ryan.

"So, you like to sing and dance. Are you into drama?"

"Yeah. It gets sort of hard, being dyslexic and all but-" Ryan stopped. Did he just say that? '_WHY? WHY DID I SAY THAT?' _he thought.

"Wow! You're dyslexic? I would have never guessed! That's pretty cool that you still do what you love, not letting that get in the way."

Ryan didn't say anything. He'd spent years making sure that his secret stayed secret. "I guess…I never told anyone about it…" Suddenly Shaylee's face erupted into a bright smile.

"You mean you actually trust me enough to tell me things like that? Wow! I feel so special!" She covered her cheeks, which were starting to get red, with her hands.

"Um…right. Just make sure you don't tell anyone, ok?"

"Wow! You even trust me with your secret! Ooooh, I've never felt so happy!" She blushed and hid her face in her hands. Ryan couldn't help but smile.

"You're easy to please aren't you?"

"Ooh! Look over there! Slushies! I want one, you want one? I'll go get some!" With that she jumped up and danced merrily over to the Slushie-Shack. '_Easily distracted too, I guess_' Ryan thought. Ryan watched as she placed her order. She talked animatedly with anyone who was standing near her. He smiled again. She had a genuine child-like enthusiasm. Ryan's smile faded as he saw a few boys approach her. She talked with them the same way she talked to any other stranger, but for some reason, Ryan felt a strange feeling. Sort of like he was jealous. Shaylee smiled and waved happily when she noticed Ryan watching them. The boys shot Ryan a glare, then went off. Shaylee paid for the two slushies, talked to the worker for a minute, then made her way back to their table.

"Here! I didn't know what you wanted, so I bought 'Mystery,' is that ok?"

"Sure." Ryan said. Ryan looked around the mall. His heart nearly stopped when he noticed two familiar faces. Troy and Gabriella were in line to buy a breakfast pizza. Ryan hoped they wouldn't notice them, but it was too late. Shaylee's red hair stood out too much.

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Please Review! P-L looooves Reviews. lol. 


	13. Chapter 13

Eh! It's Thirteen! That's an unlucky number! Unfortunately, this chapter is also kinda short...

Note: After writing Shaylee's ramble, I wanted some gum...really bad...

Disclaimer: RYAN IS MINE! (I wish)

_I Trust You- Chapter Thirteen_

Gabriella stood close enough to Troy so other girls would know he was taken, but far away enough to let him know she was still mad at him.

"C'mon Gabriella, I said I was sorry"

Gabriella didn't respond.

"I was just being nice. You know how hard it is to fit in at Eat High."

"Either way, you think she's prettier than me."

"When did I say that?"  
"By sitting by her."

"But I was just trying to be nice!"

Annoyed, Gabriella flipped her hair. Doing so, she caught sight of a vibrant red color.

"Is that Ryan Evans with that Shaylee girl?" she asked. Troy turned around quickly 'Too quickly' Gabriella thought. "Well, why don't we go over and say hi."

Ryan watched nervously as Troy and Gabriella made their way over to them. He looked around for an escape path, but it was too late.

"Well what a pleasant surprise!" Gabriella said as she approached their table. Troy sat down next to Shaylee in a 'casual' way. Gabriella glared, but sat next to Ryan. Ryan nervously played with his napkin, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, Shaylee, I see you've made a friend already. How nice." Gabriella smiled sweetly at Shaylee, but Ryan knew she didn't mean it. Gabriella wanted Shaylee to be friendless and alone. Not that Ryan had anything against Gabriella, but if someone challenged her position as 'the prettiest girl in Albuquerque' Gabriella could get pretty nasty in her own way. Shaylee, completely oblivious to the large amount of silent hostility aimed directly at her, smiled back with a genuine smile.

"Yeah. Ryan's a nice guy." She said, playing with what was left of her Slushie with her straw. "He's a good listener too; I don't think he interrupted me once! He met my siblings too. Vican changed her name again. It used to be Violet. Before that it was Avarielle. My brother turned three last week. Did you know that the Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875? Yeah. I didn't know that for a while.I also didn't know thata cow is pregnant for nine months, just like humans.Ooh hey! Look over there! I want a gumball! Anyone else want one?" With that, Shaylee bounced out of her seat and over to a candy machine.

Gabriella stared at the empty seat for a few moments, as if she were unaware that within a minute Shaylee had taken the topic of conversation from Ryan to the Kentucky Derby, to gumballs, and then disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"I don't want a gumball," she responded to the empty seat. Ryan smiled.

"She'll bring you one anyway." Ryan said. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Shaylee talked with some little kids.

"Wow. She's like, an _unstoppable_ force of nature." Troy commented. "I'd hate to get on her bad side"

"I don't think she has a bad side," Ryan said. Gabriella shot Troy a very nasty look.

"Well, you didn't try very hard to stay off of _my_ bad side!" She hissed. "I can't take this any more Troy! It's either her or me and from the way that you keep staring at her, I think I know who you'll pick! Ryan, call me and tell me what she talks about when you get back home." With that she gave an indignant flip of her dark hair and stormed off.

"Whoa. I think Gabriella just dumped me." Troy said, watching her push past the doors to the girl's bathroom. "That means, maybe I've got a chance with that Shaylee girl?"

Ryan nodded, but bit his lip. If Troy wanted something, he usually got it.

"Ok, well, I'm going then. Why don't you talk to her for me? You know? Do a favor for your friend, right? I'll see you later." Troy left the table. Ryan watched as he made his way out the doors. 'Did he seriously just call me a _friend_?" Ryan thought.

"Oh. Did your friends leave?" Ryan turned to see Shaylee staring at the empty seats. "I guess that's ok, because I wanted another gumball, but I didn't know who else wanted two and I didn't want to get two for myself and have someone feel left out so I just got one for each of us but seeing as there is only two of us now, I can have two and you can have two and I won't have to make a second trip." Ryan smiled, but thought about what Troy had said. If Troy wanted to claim Shaylee as his girlfriend, he would. Ryan sighed. Troy always got everything; he had athletic talents, he got the girl that he wanted, he even got the lead role in the past winter musical. Ryan didn't want to admit, but he was a little jealous of Troy.

"But I mean, two gumballs is a little selfish, but one looses its flavor too fast, so if you eat two, it's sort of like it lasts a little longer. Anyway, which colors do you want? I have red, blue, pink, and green. I don't care which two I have. Except I hate white. White makes me feel sick. But that doesn't really matter, seeing as I didn't get white. Which colors do you like? I like them all. Except white, which I said already. Oh, I also don't like yellow."

"Do you always talk this much?" Ryan asked. Shaylee stopped and stared off into space for a moment.

"No. Well, I mean I talk, but not as much." Shaylee blushed slightly. "I guess I'm just nervous. Which is unusual for me; I'm normally quite calm" Shaylee sat and stared at the four gumballs, sitting quietly for the first time all day. Ryan couldn't help but smile. So he wasn't the only nervous one.

* * *

Oh hey! Exciting stuff happened to me! First of all, my best friend in the whole world got caught shoplifting at a mall yesterday (I don't know why she would do something like that. It's so not like her). Also...

_I SENT AN EMAIL TO LUCAS GRABEEL!_

I mean, yeah, it probably won't get read, but still. _I did it_!


	14. Chapter 14

Hajimemashite and Konnichiwa, P-L reporting for duty! I beg forgiveness, I kept putting off typing this chapter for _so long!_ I feel so bad for not putting it up! cry cry! Anyway, my apologies, and I will most _definitely_ get the next chapter up without too long of a delay.

Disclaimer: If High School Musical were mine, there would _definitely_ be a lot more violence... eh heh.

And away we go!

_I Trust You- Chapter Fourteen_

The rest of the afternoon went by pretty fast. Shaylee seemed to have calmed down a little; at least the topics of conversation didn't change as often or dramatically. By six o'clock, Ryan thought of something he'd completely forgotten about: Sharpay

'_Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about her! I hope she's all right. What if Dad is mad again? What if he hits her?_'

"Shaylee?"

"Eh?" Shaylee had been tapping at a glass fish-tank.

"Do you mind if I make a quick phone call?"

"Oh, no, not at all." She said as she turned back to the fish tank. It was the same kind of fish Ryan had in his room. "I'd get this fish, but Dustin would eat it like he did the last time I brought a pet home…" She glances over at the lizards. "It was a little lizard. Very cute."

Ryan smiled; throughout the day, he's learned so much about Shaylee's family that he felt he knew them. Dustin speaks in mimicry, though his actual voice has been heard a few times; Vican changes her name at the drop of a pin; they have a dog, named Boston, who likes to chase parked cars. Shaylee didn't mention much about her parents, other than they really push their kids into being expressive.

Ryan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sharpay's number. He walked a short distance from Shaylee, not wanting to be overheard.

"Hello?"

"Shar? This is Ryan. Sorry it took so long to call, I completely forgot to."

"That's fine. Are you gonna be home soon?"

"I'm not sure. Why? Is it bad? Is he mad?"

"No Ryan, it's fine. Just don't be out too late. You know. _Then _he might get mad."

Ryan and Shaylee finally left the mall. They reached her house within a half hour. Shaylee smiled sweetly at Ryan.

"Thanks for today, I really enjoyed it." Ryan smiled and was about to reply when Shaylee's eyes lit up excitedly. "Oooh! It's almost sundown! Come here, I have to show you this!" She grabbed Ryan's arm and led him around the back. They traveled a short distance from her house, then eventually she stopped. With an eager smile, she pointed to the west.

"This is my most favorite place in the world to watch the sun go down," she explained. She stared in quiet awe at the whirl of reds and golds. Ryan smiled and turned to look at her. He noticed how pretty it looked when the sun caused golden glints in every curl of her red hair.

"Shaylee...-"

"Sh…it's a magical moment…" She said in a whisper. Her hand brushed slightly against Ryan's. Nervously he opened his fingers and held onto hers. Shaylee blushed slightly, but didn't pull away. Together, they admired the sunset.

Ryan didn't notice how dark it had gotten; Shaylee invited him in to have popcorn and to talk for a bit. The popcorn was homemade, and good, but when Dustin upturned the bowl on his head while their dog Boston danced circles around him, Ryan decided it would probably be a good time to call it quits for the day.

Ryan arrived at their mansion feeling slightly nervous. He saw both Sharpay and their parent's lights on (as well as the front lobby's). Ryan took great care in making his way upstairs. He quietly passed his parent's room to check on Sharpay. Her door was locked. Ryan's heart began to pound realizing that their father must have been in a really bad room; Sharpay _never_ locks her door.

A hand suddenly grabbed Ryan by the back of the head, smashing him face first into Sharpay's door.

Sharpay jumped when she heard a lou7d bang at her door. First she thought it was her father, pounding his fist on the door, but then she recognized his voice yelling at someone…

Richard Evans kicked his foot viciously into Ryan's stomach. Ryan could feel the warmth of his own blood pouring from his nose. He bit down on his tongue to keep from crying out; he didn't want Sharpay to come out. Ryan's eyes filled with tears.

Richard grabbed his son by his arms and pulled him to his feet. He dragged Ryan to the top of the staircase, talking about how he needed to be punished for being out so late…

"Richard?" Richard stopped at the sound of his wife's voice. Ryan began to feel lightheaded, his knees buckling slightly. "The party is going to start soon. I couldn't bear to be late, I'd die of embarrassment." Richard glared at Ryan, then, with a forceful push, he shoved Ryan down the length of stairs.

Sharpay sat nervously on the other side of her door. She heard a long series of thumps, then the whole house became silent. She glanced at the clock; it was almost eight-thirty and their parents had a dinner party to attend, so she assumed that they had left. She opened her door quietly.

"Ryan?" She whispered into the deserted hallway. There was no answer. She noticed the blood spattered along the floor in front of her door. Her heart began to pound as she followed the blood splotches away from her room, down the hall, then to the stairs. Sharpay walked cautiously to the top of the stairwell. Sharpay caught her breath as tears sprang into her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away the image before her.

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Uwah! Don't hit me! I know it was an _awful_ place to leave off (heck, the suspense is killing _me,_ and I wrote the dang thing). Anyway, you know the routine.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**(whats the point in saying "Please _Read_ and Review: if you are reading this senctance then you've probably read it already. Right?)


	15. Chapter 15

Konnichiwa! It's really hot here were I live, so I stayed inside. I decided to finish typing this chapter to get it out sooner. sigh There was a time when I had chapters out on the same day...oh well. I've gotten really busy.

Disclaimer: High School Musical isn't mine; it's blatently obivious. If it were, it would focus on Ryan and Sharpay and such. And Gabriella and Troy would get _everything_ (I mean, come on, they win their compititions, they win the auditions, they even win each other!)

Well, here it is!

_I Trust You- Chapter Fifteen_

Sharpay took a deep breath and grabbed the banister for support. She shakily followed the trail of blood that led down the stairs. Sharpay stifled a sob as she knelt beside her brother's lifeless form.

_--DING! --_

Sharpay jumped at the sound of the doorbell. Wiping her face she opened the front door. Her eyes were met with a dazzling red.

"Sh-Shaylee?"

"Um...yes. Well, I left my camera in the car…are you ok?" Sharpay turned to glance behind her. Her brother's voice echoed in her head: _Don't tell anyone._ Sharpay took a steadying breath. '_Sorry Ryan._' She thought.

"Listen...um…Shaylee. I really need your help."

Shaylee followed Sharpay into her house. Sharpay stood in front of Ryan. There was a sharp intake of breath. Sharpay glance at Shaylee; her face was paler than usual. She covered her mouth with her hand, her teal-blue eyes wide.

"Ryan?" Shaylee's voice had become very shaky. She knelt beside the bloodied figure. She reached out to touch him several times, but pulled back when her fingers were just inches from contact, as if she were afraid to touch him.

"Sharpay, what…what happened?"

"He…fell. Down the stairs."

"Sharpay, have you called the ambulance yet?"

"No, of course not-"

"What? Why?"

"Well, Ryan wouldn't want me to-"

"What? Sharpay, your brother could **_die_! **He's bleeding to death right here in front of you and you haven't done anything to help him. How would you feel, Sharpay, if you never saw his bright smile again, if you never got the chance to speak to him ever again? Sharpay, if you don't call an ambulance soon, your brother is going to die."

Y_our brother is going to die._ Sharpay blinked a few times. She'd never thought about death before. Now that she did, she realized the countless times Ryan could've died: the time Chad and some others pushed him into the pool, the time their father cut his wrists with a pair of scissors…Sharpay's eyes overflowed with tears.

"Ryan!" she wailed, flinging her arms up in the air. She rested her head against his. "Don't go! Please Ryan, don't leave me! I need you! Don't leave me here alone." She sobbed. "Don't be so selfish…"

"Stop it." Sharpay jumped. She'd never heard someone speak with such force before. She looked up at Shaylee; her eyes were watering, but narrowed into a glare. "Don't say such things. I'm sure it would make Ryan sad. You need to be strong for him." She dug into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Go call for an ambulance and get me a bowl of warm water and a rag."

Sharpay nodded, jumped up, and ran off to the bathroom.

Shaylee stared at Ryan. She reached out and gently pushed his blond hair off of his forehead. She listened to Sharpay frantically explaining to the 911 dispatcher that her brother had fallen down a flight of stairs. Shaylee's hand brushed against Ryan's. It was turning cold. She clutched his hand to her forehead.

"Ryan," Shaylee squeezed her eyes closed as the tears began flowing down her cheeks. "Ryan, do you remember the sunset. Wasn't it beautiful? I felt so warm inside when I was with you. I'm glad we shared such a beautiful moment together. I like being with you." She whispered, kissing the back of his hand lightly, her lips barely touching.

Sharpay rushed into the room spilling water here and there.

"They're sending someone over, they said an ambulance should be here soon." She knelt next to Shaylee, handing her the damp rag. Shaylee gently wiped the blood off of Ryan's pale face.

The next five minutes was a long, flashing-red blur for the two girls. Sitting in the back of the ambulance, clutching the hand of her unconscious brother, Sharpay had never felt more grateful for a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

Have you ever had an out of body experience? I have. It's way fun. Odd sort of question. Out of the Blue...oh well!

Please Review!


	16. Chapter 16

Ok. So, someone said that they like the way that I don't have too much gore with my violence. I am afraid of Gore. Gorey things scare me. That's probably why I don't write about them. Ah well, Chapter Sixteen. Jeez. I wasn't intending to go this long. Maybe I'll just stop.

Disclaimer: If I owned High School Musical, I would get rid of the hiphop dancer. Well, maybe not entirely; just the part during the credits when you see those black panty things. That was an overshare.

_I Trust You- Chapter Sixteen_

_It's black. Everything is black. I can hardly think. I feel so cold. I'm only vaguely aware of a sharp pain in my wrist. I can sort of hear muffled sounds, like voices. I can't speak, can't move. I'm so frightened._

_Where's Sharpay? Where's my sister? I want her to be here with me, to hold me and tell me everything is going to be ok. She always says it's going to be ok. Where is she now? _

_Sharpay! What if dad's gone after her now? What if he hurts her? Oh Sharpay, it's so cold!_

_I can recognize Sharpay's voice a little. She's talking with someone. I recognize the voice, but can't place the face. Sharpay has stopped talking; I think she's left the room. It's just me and the voice now._

_It's such a warm voice. It seems to be calling me, telling me to hold on. It's so cold, yet I can feel the voice's warmth. I love that voice._

_I remember now: the beautiful shades of red orange and gold. I can feel her hand in mine. It was a magical moment. _

_It's getting colder now. I wish I could reach out and embrace the voice's warmth, but I can't._

_It's so cold._

Ryan's eyes fluttered open. Everything was a dazzling white. Eventually his eyes adjusted. Ryan looked around the room. He was in a bed, something beeping to his left. His right hand felt slightly bulky; he looked down and saw that his right hand had been set in a cast.

Sharpay sat in a chair to his right, her head cocked to a side, her eyes closed. On his left, he recognized a vibrant red color. Shaylee had fallen asleep as well. Leaning forward, her head rested on the edge of his bed. Ryan reached his left hand out and gently touched the top of her head, his fingers barely touching.

"Huah!" Shaylee let out a shriek as she bolted out of her seat, landing on the floor. Ryan jumped slightly, his movement waking Sharpay. Her head snapped up and she sat up straight. She caught sight of Ryan and gave a cry of mixed joy and relief.

"Oh Ryan! Thank God! I was so worried! They'd said you'd lost a lot of blood… Oh Ryan!" Sobbing, Sharpay threw her arms around her brother's neck.

"They said that aside from losing a lot of blood, you have a broken wrist. I guess you noticed that already." Shaylee's voice came from the floor; she still hadn't recovered from the shock. Brushing herself off, she stood up and brushed herself off, smiling sweetly at the two siblings. "I'll go find the doctor and tell them you're awake," she said, turning to leave. There was a short silence between the two after she left.

"Why is she here? You didn't tell her did you?" Sharpay sighed. Of course that would be one of Ryan's main concerns.

"No Ryan. She just helped me with the ambulance and everything. It's getting bad Ryan. We can't keep this up forever." Sharpay looked at her brother, tears in her eyes. Shaylee's words still stung in Sharpay's brain. Her brother could have died. She could be an only child.

"It's no big deal Shar, really. He didn't hurt you, did he?" Sharpay sighed. She was always his main concern.

"No, they had a dinner party to go to; he left when he was…done."

"Good. I would have killed myself if he did anything to you." Sharpay sighed, know how incredibly true that statement was.

"Still Ryan, we can't go on with this-"

"It's ok Shar. It doesn't hurt. I'll be fine."

Sharpay stared at her brother for a moment, cursing his stubbornness.

"Well, I'm going to go get a drink, I'll be right back." Sharpay stood and left the room. Ryan sat quietly on his bed. There was a small, hesitant tap at his door.

"Come in."

Shaylee peeked nervously around the edge of the door.

"Oh, hello. Listen, I want to thank you for helping me…" Shaylee didn't answer but quietly entered the room and stood by the side of his bed. "Is something wrong?"

"When you fell…" she looked directly at the ground, avoiding eye contact. "Was it an accident?"

Ryan's heart began to beat faster. It was noticeable; he was hooked up to a machine.

"Yes," he lied. The beeps continued to speed up. Shaylee stared at the monitor.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" '_Why did she have to say it like that?_' Ryan thought.

"Of course not." Shaylee stared at him. Ryan hoped the sweat that began to form on his forehead wasn't noticeable.

"Ok. I trust you." Shaylee sat down in the chair. There was a long silence, and eventually the beeps from the monitor slowed.

"Hey, I just wanted to say thanks" Shaylee said after a while. "I enjoyed going to the mall with you." She turned pink in the cheeks. "And I really liked being with you." She said, turning to give him a small smile. Ryan returned the smile.

"I really liked being with you too…" He said. He reached his hand out towards her. She blushed, but grasped his hand. Just then, interrupting what was surely to be a sweet moment, Sharpay burst noisily into the room. Jumping, Shaylee pulled her hand away from Ryan's, her chair sliding back a bit.

"Can you believe they have nothing good to drink in the pop machine?" Sharpay complained as she sat down in her seat, opening a bottle of water. Ryan gave her a sympathetic nod,and gave Shaylee a small smile.

* * *

I've always wondered what goes on in an unconcious person's mind...

Ok, now I really want a soda. My favorite is A & W's Creme Soda. I can't go a day without it. When I do, I have a serious Creme Soda Withdrawal.

Anyway, please review (I'm getting close to 200! WOO!)


	17. Chapter 17

OVER 200 REVIEWS! WHEEE! I FEEL SO HONORED! THANK YOU SO MUCH! tear

Anyway, so sorry about not updating for a while (we went camping). So I beg of your forgiveness. I'll try not to let it happen again! (though, classes start soon again...)

About this Chapter: It sort of goes a little bit into Shaylee and her issues (she's strange most definitely). Wee.

Disclaimer: Aint mine. Oh no no no no it aint mine. (ha ha, like Chicago: but it aint, oh no nono no but it aint)

_I Trust You- Chapter Seventeen_

Shaylee stood up and excused herself.

"I should have gone home hours ago…Sorry Ryan, Sharpay. I'll come by later today" She smiled, then left the room. Shaylee stood behind the closed door for a minute, thinking about she'd heard earlier. Now, Shaylee never was nor ever will be an eavesdropper, and it wasn't that she was intending to. Shaylee closed her eyes and chewed on her lip thoughtfully. When she said she was going to find a doctor, she really wasn't, she was just giving them time alone together. She'd left the room and stood outside the door, thinking about what she could do to pass time when she overheard their conversation:

_"Why is she here? You didn't tell her did you?"_

_"No Ryan. She just helped me with the ambulance and everything. It's getting bad Ryan. We can't keep this up forever."_

_"It's no big deal Shar, really. He didn't hurt you, did he?"_

_"No, they had a dinner party to go to; he left when he was…done."_

_"Good. I would have killed myself if he did anything to you."_

_"Still Ryan, we can't go on with this-"_

_"It's ok Shar. It doesn't hurt. I'll be fine."_

_"Well, I'm going to go get a drink, I'll be right back."_

Shaylee frowned, thinking about the conversation. She asked Ryan if his fall was an accident, and he had said it was, but still, Shaylee still didn't think it was true. It wasn't an accident. Someone hurt Ryan. On purpose. Shaylee bit her nails. She'd seen many children suffering from abuse, could the Evans be in such a situation?

But Ryan said it was an accident. Maybe it was. Shaylee sighed and stood up, brushing her pants. She left the hospital and made her way to her home. She had to stop numerous times: Albuquerque was still foreign to her and to be blunt, she felt quite lost. Finally, after an hour and a half, she arrived at her home. The first thing she noticed was that her parent's car wasn't there. She glanced at her watch, realizing that of course her father would be at work.

"Helloooo? Anyone home?" She opened the door and walked down the front hallway.

"Anyone home?" came her voice from her brother's room. She knocked on his door then went in. He was sitting in the middle of his room, doing his favorite pastime: sitting in the middle of a room doing absolutely nothing.

"Hi Dustin! Is mom home?"

"Mom home?" He replied, imitating her. Shaylee smiled. She'd learned that it was less frustrating to ask him yes or no questions. If he doesn't respond then it's a no.

"Is she in her room?"

"…"

"Is she in the kitchen?"

"In the kitchen?"

Shaylee patted him on the head then went to the kitchen.

"Oh Shaylee, I'm glad your home! I was worried. What happened?"

"My friend had an accident so I went with his sister to the hospital."

"What's this? You have a _friend_?" Shaylee turned to see her sister sitting on one of the chairs. As usual, she was completely decked out in black.

"Yes I do. Do _you_?"

"No thank God." Shaylee rolled her eyes then went upstairs to her room. She changed into more comfortable clothing; a loose-fitting shirt and shorts. She went to sit on her bed, but noticed a magazine placed on her pillow. She opened it and flipped through it; the only time her mother got a magazine was because one of Shaylee's photographs was in it. Shaylee stopped flipping through the pages, recognizing one of her pictures. Shaylee stared at it silently. It was an article about some war going on in some country. It was a picture Shaylee snapped of a little child, her body bloodied and mangled. Shaylee began to get that sick feeling again. She got it every time she saw something horrible. Her eyes filled with tears and she ripped the picture out of the magazine, throwing it across her room. She ran to a door to the left of her bed and flicked on a switch. There was a red eerie glow; it was her dark room, the place where she developed her pictures. Shaylee threw the picture on her desk, getting that maniacal hysteria she felt whenever she thought about what a horrible world she was living in. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she tacked the picture up on her wall. Her Wall of Shame. She had so many pictures showing the evils she saw almost daily as a photographer.

"It's so frightening!" She screamed out to no one in particular. She covered her face with her hands. "Why? Why does it have to be like this?" Shaylee opened her top drawer and pulled out a blade. She pulled her shorts back revealing many scars along her upper thighs. She took the blade and dug it into her skin. The blood began flowing from the new wound. She continued cutting herself till eventually she just stopped, falling out of her seat, sobbing loudly. She curled underneath her desk, blood spattered along the floor. She rocked slightly, crying about how scared she was.

"I just want it to end," she sobbed. "Please…just let it end."

* * *

Aw, that was sort of hard to write because I had a friend who cut her thighs so no one would be able to see and offer her help. It made me sad when I found out. Anyway, one of _my_ own fears is this world that we're living in. I am so scared. Seriously. It's a scary world.

Anyway, please review!


	18. Please Read Note

Hello. I'm sure many of you who have come to this chapter of the story are eagerly waiting the long-awaited next installment of the story "I Trust You." I'm also sure that many of you reading this think I am Phantom-Lover. I'm not. P-L's name in real life was Allison. She was my best friend; I usually called her Ali for short. She was really fun, and really lived each day to it's fullest. But, although she was extremely fun-loving, she was really paranoid about some things. Like, she said if she were to ever die before getting old, she'd wanted me to take care of weird things; most people say watch after my dog, or take care of my fish, but she said "close down all of my email accounts" I'd asked her why, and she laughed saying she was sick of getting spam. However, one day, I was in my room when I got a call from Ali's mom: Ali was driving home from the closing shift at her job, when a drunk driver had hit her car. Just like that my best friend was dead. For weeks I went through some really painful, sad, angry times; I was so upset that Ali died instead of the drunk; Ali never drank or smoked, or anything that was bad. She was such a good person. It took me almost a whole month to finally accept her death. One day, just like she told me to, I was in her Yahoo account, when I noticed she had a folder marked "Fanfic," so, just out of curiosity, I opened the folder. I found her password under one of her saved drafts (she did that alot, to remember things by) and came here, and found that she had been writing a story based around High School Musical. I started crying of course; she wasn't interested in it at all till I forced her into watching it, and then we had a tradition of watching it every Saturday night and eating popcorn. I read her story, and then went through her files to find out if she ever finished it. She didn't really, but she did have a ton of notes about what was going to happen in which chapter, including how it ends. I almost cried, because of what happened in the end. It was almost like foreshadowing her own life.

Anyway, as you can tell, it's taken me quite some time to actually post something here, under her account, telling almost complete strangers that my best friend has died, but, I'm sorry for taking so long. Someday, I'll post once more; I'll put all of her notes about upcoming things for the story, just so you can get an idea of how her story was going to end. Thank you for listening, and having interest in my friends story. Unfortunately, I know this is probably one of the last times this story is going to be read, because it will soon fade away, just like she did.

Thanks again,

Keshia


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